Program Manager I -System Strengthening Specialist at Catholic Relief

Specific Responsibilities:

• Take the lead on multi-sectoral stakeholder engagement and coordination with relevant county and community-based government of Kenya (GOK) staff, key stakeholders, and other local institutions. Engage in technical working groups and other multi-sector platforms to enhance communication of goals and objectives, obtain buy-in, enhance awareness, and ensure collective engagement.
• Ensure system strengthening is based on multi-sector engagement at all levels to develop a networked system able to holistically respond to the needs of vulnerable populations, in a sustainable and inclusive manner.
• Guide the integration of systems strengthening efforts into other sectors, liaising with the key Nawiri technical leads and line sector ministries/departments (health, nutrition, education, and other relevant departments) and engaging both formal and informal systems in ensuring the integration. Put in place MoUs and other inter-agency collaborative methodologies.
• Support county governments to effectively engage and advocate for resources from GOK and outside sources in support of county development priorities. Integrate public-private partnerships (PPP) as a central approach to system strengthening to result in a sustainable intervention, local resource mobilization being a critical pillar of PPP.
• Ensure linkages and concurrence between Nawiri activities and GOK’s strategic plans at county levels (e.g., Kenya Ending Drought Emergencies Framework, County Integrated Development Plans (CIDPs)). Lead Nawiri contributions to these GOK’s strategic plans. Incorporate strategies to address governance and systems-related drivers of acute malnutrition into Nawiri activity design and programming.
• Along with the relevant county sector leads, build the capacity of the county government to use available nutrition and other relevant sector information for decision making, program planning, and performance and results monitoring. Incorporate lessons learned and best practices for capacity strengthening and institutionalization approaches into Nawiri activity design.
• Develop/produce program donor deliverables (quarterly, annual reports, etc.) in conjunction with other program staff. Document and share best practices towards improving systems and structures and support in the scale up of best practices
• Support production of tools and materials designed to effectively measure capacity improvements and engage all relevant stakeholders when designing materials to ensure ownership.
• Along with the County M&E specialist and M&E Lead, identify and monitor key metrics to measure institutional strengthening, including demonstrated management capacity around policies, strategies, guidelines, standards, and protocols for malnutrition; demonstrated leadership around malnutrition; capacity to manage data and research; effective use of data and research outcomes.
• Effectively manage talent and supervise the county-level systems strengthening team responsible for day-to-day guidance and oversight of program activities to achieve program targets at the county level. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Supervise and oversee the county level systems strengthening program team and ensure clear roles and responsibilities and lines of communication are maintained amongst the team members. Provide coaching, strategically tailor individual development plans, contribute to the recruitment process of program staff, and complete performance management for direct reports.
• Coordinate the continued identification of capacity strengthening needs and strengthen the capacity of Nawiri relevant formal and informal stakeholders at all county levels to support quality program implementation, and a multisectoral approach at all levels to reducing acute malnutrition.
• Engage and strengthen partnerships relevant to the Nawiri program in the county. Represent CRS in sectoral meetings with the government, private sector and other development agencies in the county and ensure that partners are informed and represented. Responsible for ensuring the organization is well represented in relevant forums and technical working groups within the county.

Personal Skills

• Strong relationship management abilities. Ability to relate to people at all levels internally and externally. Strategic in how you approach each relationship.
• Excellent negotiation skills.
• Strong communications and presentation skills.
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions-oriented and results-oriented.
• Capable of working in a dynamic, results oriented environment; ability to multi-task across various work streams/priorities.
• Team player with a positive attitude who can work independently while also being highly collaborative and open. Capable of building relationships and influencing the opinions of others.
• Demonstrated commitment to respect, equity, diversity and inclusion including gender equality.

Typical Background, Experience & Requirements:

Education and Experience

• A Master’s degree in policy, communications, economics, nutrition, public health, agricultural/development economics, applied sociology, anthropology, or another relevant subject. Additional experience may substitute for some education.
• Minimum five years’ relevant work experience preferably in a development setting with an international non-governmental organization
• Demonstrated experience of successful provision of technical assistance to government ministries and/or decentralized government structures
• Demonstrated experience in implementing systems strengthening approaches, with technical expertise in one or more of the following areas: policy reform, service coverage, supply chain management, information systems, workforce alignment and capacity building, stakeholder coordination, and/or related areas of system strengthening.
• Track record of managing many relationships internally and externally with partners, Government departments and community institutions. Demonstrated experience working in multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary teams.
• Demonstrated experience in driving proactive and innovative strategies to achieve results.
• Staff management experience